The Interiors Addict

How to budget your next kitchen renovation

Posted: 13 Apr 2021 06:00 PM PDT

The kitchen is arguably one of the most important rooms in the home. It's where you feed your family and entertain your guests, and it's usually in a central location. Because of its importance and frequent usage, the kitchen is often one of the first rooms to go out of style or show signs of age. A kitchen renovation can breathe new life back into your entire home, and hopefully increase the value of your home.

Whether you're doing an entire remodel or simply making a few updates, a kitchen renovation can be a worthy investment. Marcus Roberts, founder of Brighter Finance, shares his insights below.

AFTER kitchen — Photography: The Palm Co.

Location, location, location

Of course, the cost of any renovation will be entirely dependent on the size of the project, the materials used, and the services required. No kitchen will cost the same, in the same way no kitchen is the same. There are many ways to bring your costs down, but it's also important to note that your geographic location can affect the cost of your renovation. Within major cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, a renovation can cost more than in other areas, with the average renovation price being somewhere above $20,000. Outside of these areas, the typical Australian kitchen remodel will cost around $17,000.

Budget ranges

There's a lot of room for variation in your budget, and prices can change dramatically. For example, a kitchen renovation can cost between $5,000 to $10,000 for an apartment sized kitchen, or for small updates. Budget kitchens are in the area of $10,000 to $25,000. For a mid range renovation, you’re looking at anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000, and high end renovations can be anywhere within the range of $45,000 to $100,000.

Really, there's no limit to what you could spend on a kitchen. It simply depends on how creative you want to get. It's best to speak to a professional and get a customised quote which incorporates everything from design fees to material and labour costs.

Design

The design is one of the most important, but often overlooked aspects of a kitchen renovation. The layout of your kitchen can make or break the ease of workflow and productivity. A poorly designed kitchen can be frustrating to work in, and if you're spending a large sum of money you want to be sure you will enjoy being in the new kitchen. A professional kitchen designer can ensure a sensible layout while providing you with ample storage and a stylistic look. If you're looking at redesigning the entire layout of your kitchen you'll need to factor in designer's fees, which are normally around 10% of the overall cost. The average price point for designer's fees is $2,500.

Cabinetry

The cabinets of every kitchen should be sturdy, but the materials they're made from will determine how much you spend. Cabinetry materials are usually wood, wood veneers or composite woods like chipboard, though aluminium and polyethylene are increasingly popular options. Melamine drawers and doors are a great budget option, whereas solid timber is more expensive but can give a better aesthetic finish. In most kitchens, the cabinets will take up a large portion of the space and incidentally, will be a big chunk of your budget. To replace all cabinetry, you can expect costs to be anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000.

Bench tops

The next most significant part of your kitchen renovation will likely be the bench tops. Again, depending on the materials used on these surfaces, there can be a large sway in pricing. Common kitchen bench top materials include marble, stone, metal and composite woods – all of which have different price points. More basic materials, such as a laminate bench tops can be less than $3,000, whereas solid timber or gloss polyurethane can be much more expensive. Even more expensive are marble or stone bench tops, which can easily go above the $10,000 mark, before installation costs.

Flooring

When it comes to kitchen renovations, the flooring can be easy to forget, however it can be an important aspect. Your kitchen needs a durable and easy to clean floor surface. There's a great variety of flooring options, and you can choose between different styles of tiles, vinyl, wood, and linoleum.

A tiled floor is generally more expensive, due to the material itself and the installation process. Tiles will cost around $2,000 depending on the kitchen size. High end kitchens often use wood flooring, but this can increase the costs to around $4,000. The more affordable options are vinyl and linoleum, which are normally only $300 to $400.

Lighting

Lighting is an important part of your kitchen, as you want certain areas to be well lit for food preparation. Although not the most expensive part of a renovation, lighting can still add up. Normally installation costs for lighting sit around $300. Adding in the average price of downlight and pendant lighting makes the overall cost of lighting in your new kitchen around $900 to $1,500.

Appliances

Costs of appliances vary greatly depending on location and the brand name, though the typical cost of labour when installing a new oven or dishwasher is $300. Factor in the cost of the appliances themselves, and you can expect the overall fit out of your kitchen to sit at roughly $5,000. With high end appliances, the price can quickly double or triple.

In the end, it's important to do your research, factoring in your own preferences, needs and wants along with the size of your kitchen. If you're working with a relatively small budget, there's a lot of compromises you can make to bring the price down. It's important to remember, however, that you should not compromise on the quality of construction. Cabinets that are well-made, with high quality hinges and drawer runners can make a world of difference. Consider this before you put majority of your budget into an expensive marble bench top.

After a renovation, a well-designed kitchen, with thoughtful planning, both in terms of layout and budgeting can make a huge improvement on your day to day life, but also on the value of your home.

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Why a bone inlay piece can bring colour and magic to your interior

Posted: 13 Apr 2021 02:00 PM PDT

By Melissa Bailey

Becky Bannar and Lana Rosenbaum started Mahlia Interiors four years ago in Melbourne and have quickly become one of Australia's leading bone inlay retailers, amassing a dedicated community of fans along the way.

To anyone who knows the pair, this is no surprise. They live and breathe Mahlia and when you hear the way they talk about inlay furniture, you can't help be drawn into this colourful world.

With a background in branding and marketing coupled with their experience and love of all things interiors and design, Becky and Lana launched Mahlia Interiors at a time when there were almost no Australian retailers solely dedicated to the sale of the striking bone inlay pieces. They’ve relished the freedom to create new designs which set them apart from simply being resellers, but rather as innovators in the inlay space.

Becky and Lana own Mahlia Interiors and live and breathe inlay furniture | Image: Jarrod Barnes

The first two years of the business were predominately online but, in true startup style, the pair even offered tours inside their own homes to showcase the pieces in real life! Despite everything 2020 threw at us, late last year saw them bravely launch a Melbourne showroom, an inlay oasis bursting with colour, pattern and variety.

Every piece is intricately handmade in Rajasthan, India, known as the home of inlay. The craft of decorating wood for the home actually goes back around 3000 years however, with pieces found in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The process is facilitated entirely by hand. There is not one machine involved, from hand carving each individual piece of camel bone, then fixing it into an intricate pattern on a wooden frame, and then filling this pattern with a coloured resin. From start to finish, it can take anywhere from three to five weeks for one piece to be made, and as such, no two pieces are the same, adding to the magic of inlay.

Working with a team who share their values was extremely important to Becky and Lana, which is why the bone inlay used is 100% ethically sourced. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), an auditing agency in India, are responsible for controlling the processes around animal by-products and if you're wondering how you can really be sure, all pieces from Mahlia Interiors come with a WCCB certification. As well as bone inlay, mother of pearl shells are also used to create a different, yet equally mesmerising, inlay finish.

“Every product has its own story and goes on to live a wonderful life in the homes of Mahlia customers,” says Becky, “Each piece can be tailored to suit, with infinite design opportunities. We’ve seen a sideboard used as a bathroom vanity and customised a mirror with in-built ledge and towel rack!”

Lana adds: “The beauty of bone inlay is that it really can live in any corner of the home – unique custom orders have also included a shoe rack in an entrance way, a reception desk for a pilates studio, a linen box for the end of a bed, and a makeup console with a matching hinged mirror and stool for a lavish walk-in-robe.”

It's rare to see just one piece of inlay in a home, with many customers falling in love with the look and coming back for more. “Whether it's adding small matching homewares to tie in the pieces, or a second larger complementary piece, one thing for sure is that inlay loves company (and is an addiction)!” Becky adds.

“While the more mainstream furniture pieces in white gloss laminate or timber may always have the monopoly amongst the masses (and don't get me wrong, there are many of those beautiful pieces out there too) when you choose to let a bone inlay piece into your home, you're not afraid to let a bit of magic in – to play with pattern and colour of which the options are endless,” Lana says.

“You're also allowing the space to reflect the personality or personalities of those who use it by the piece you choose, which is what really makes a house a home. It's for these reasons inlay is truly timeless. And when placed in your home it can perform many roles over the years and grow as your family grows.”

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